A console for the 'tech-oriented consumer'.

Heavy Rain screenshot

The PlayStation 3 is "still in its early adopter phase", Sony has claimed, despite the console being out for over two years.

Speaking in an interview with Gamasutra, John Koller, director of hardware marketing at SCEA, said that the kind of person who was interested in the PS3 was "tech-oriented" and that for them, the console's main appeal was its "multi-functionality".

Sony's PS3 has come under fire from a number of analysts in recent months, many of whom have pointed towards its high price as explanation of its current third place sales position behind the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360.

Sony, for its part, has continued to resist calls for a price cut, pointing towards the PS3's high-value as a Blu-ray player and powerful games machine.

And only last week Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida pointed towards hotly anticipated PS3-exclusive titles such as Killzone 2, inFamous, Heavy Rain and MAG as evidence that 2009 promises to be a big one for PS3 owners.

He said: "2009 will be the year of big, exclusive PS3 titles. Just to name a few, the year will start with the much anticipated launch of Killzone 2, followed by a fresh, new take on the superhero/anti-hero open sandbox genre inFamous, a mind-bending thriller Heavy Rain, a massive 256 player simultaneous online shooter MAG, an augmented reality, virtual pet in your room experience EyePet, and some more big titles that we have not even announced yet."

Sony's Koller told Gamasutra: "The PS3 is still in its early adopter phase, tech-oriented consumer... they're interested in the multi-functionality of the system."

He also chimed in on the PSP's demographic, saying "it's more of a 13-17 year old [demographic], multi-ethnic, a bit lower-income as well (as the PS2)".

What do you think about Koller's comments on PS3? Let us know in the comments section below.